David Dunlop, 15 February 2021
It seems that the only way Canadians are receiving current and accurate information on the CSC Type 26 Frigate program Definition Phase is through the media over the last several months. Cases in point: Why, on Feb 04 2021 did we have to go through the media to find out about the ULTRA Electronics contract awarded to develop the newest VDS Sonar named the Towed Low Frequency Active Sonar (TLFAS)? [1] This subcontract moves the development of CSC’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability from the program definition phase, into the full manufacture and delivery of the vessel’s suite of sonars for the CSC Frigate. This now takes the system out of the LM Design Phase and into the production phase. Again, why did we have to go through foreign media to find out anything on the LM SPY 7 LRDR Radar system to be fitted on at least 3 navies on Feb 13 2021? “The Lockheed Martin SPY 7 Is Going To Sea” [2]. Also on Feb 13 2021, CBC News’ Murray Brewster reported on a Kevin McCoy retirement interview who indicated the “full load” displacement of the CSC Frigate will likely be around 9,400 tonnes, almost double that of the Halifax class Frigate. [3] Why couldn’t this information come directly from government sources? Why did it take an article from Naval News correspondent Xavier Vavasseur on 12 Feb 2021 to give us full specifications on the CSC Frigate including the fact that the CSC Frigate will have an Over All Length (OAL) of 151.4 metres, as compared to the British Type 26 Frigates 149.9 metres-a full 1.5 metres longer. Apparently the “sail-away” weight of the CSC Frigate will now be 7,800 tonnes. [4] The point in all of this is that we are getting no or very little accurate information from our own government and we should be. It is time for the Trudeau government to be up front with the Canadian people as they said they would be. Remember “We will always have your back”?
Notes
2. https://seapowermagazine.org/lockheed-martins-spy-7-radar-is-going-to-sea/
4 thoughts on “We Will Always Have Your Back?”
Honestly I think the various government webpages should of been updated more than they were that’s for certain. However unless you have a need to know that the majority on this forum doesn’t have then you don’t need to know everything in great detail in my opinion. I get the “well I’m a taxpayer” argument but simply looking online at different projects for different ships, the media through access to information often post these details. Now perhaps this is a argument for a national RCN magazine along the lines of the navy times to post all the details of all our naval projects. I just don’t see why everything needs to be posted in detail for potential state actors to see but I agree that we need to be better in posting at least some info in regular updates.
Hi Ted. Agree with most of what you have said, however I disagree with your statement that the Canadian public (the owners of this CSC Frigate program by the way) don’t need to know everything about their CSC Frigate. Absolutely, don’t publish “detailed secrets” so that foreign actors cannot find out what our government is up to, but at least give the Canadian people the “straight goods” on the CSC Frigate design phase a regular basis. We are not even getting that right now. The Canadian people deserve nothing less. We already have excellent national RCN magazines. We don’t need any more.
Well said, David! I agree whole-heartedly with your view that our governments should be much more forthcoming with basic information about their major defence procurement projects like the CSC. Ottawa’s continued failure to provide up-to-date information on budgets and scheduled delivery dates makes a mockery of its frequently expressed desire to be ‘open and transparent’.
One reason for the latest spate of revelations about the CSC is that DND knows what information it has released to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) and to the Auditor General of Canada, and is trying to offset what is certain to be loudly expressed ‘sticker shock’ and dismay at rising costs and slow progress when both organizations report their findings this month.
Another explanation is that we still have a small number of competent media journalists who take the time and effort to keep abreast of defence issues, usually, however, via the tedious Canadian access-to-information process. Without their reporting, we would know next to nothing about the CSC costs and delays.
Contrast the Canadian situation with that in the United States, and even the United Kingdom and Australia. In the U.S. case, there is a steady flow of extremely detailed and timely reports on every major naval procurement, including those relating to the U.S. Constellation-class (FFG-62) Frigate, the U.S. equivalent of Canada’s CSC. The latest of literally dozens of updates on the FFG-62 program was released February11, 2021 by the Congressional Research Service. The report is comprehensive and informative and covers a wide range of issues about the program and what the Congress and U.S. public needs to know about this program.
The central contrast in these cases has more to do with priorities and philosophy than the simple fact that the U.S. spends more on these types of defence projects. For example, the government-wide process for public recourse to U.S. government decision making is called Freedom of Information whereas in Canada we have the far more restrictive Access to Information. And in the latter case, the ‘access’ is tightly controlled by those government agencies which have the least to gain by the full flow of critical information to Canadian taxpayers. I also believe the Prime Minister’s Office holds far too much influence over policies regarding the sharing of information with the Canadian public. But that is a story for a different time.
In the meantime, kudos on bringing attention to a glaring shortcoming!
Thanks Dan for your informative and accurate input. I have never tried to get any info on our more restrictive “Access To Information”. I guess I just leave that up to the more competent news media. Your statement that the Prime Minister’s Office holds far too much influence over policies regarding the sharing of information with the Canadian public is “right on point”. I only wish Canadians had a more progressive information system as the US’s Freedom Of Information has with their Congressional Research Service (CRS). Their reports seem to be much more comprehensive and informative and cover a wide range of issues about the Constellation class program and what Congress and U.S. public needs to know about their programs. Absolutely agree with all you have said!